The Albany-Siena men’s basketball team wished they could have beaten alumni forward Michael Baer on Sunday afternoon.
That didn’t happen, in part because of a decisive second-half performance by Fairfield that ended the Saints’ recent Stags dominance.
After shooting just 15.6% in the first half, Fairfield won 62-52 in front of 6,410 fans at the MVP Arena and scored 65.4% in the second half.
“Obviously Mike Baer is a big part of this team,” said fifth-year senior guard/forward Jace Johnson, who has returned from a knee injury. So I know what I’m going to do for the rest of the year, and this season was for Mr. (John) Bear and will continue to be for Mr. Bear. is”
Michael Bear still started playing. He finished with 3 points, 10 rebounds and 3 blocks.
Siena held a minute’s silence before the game. The photo appeared on his scoreboard taken on January 6, when John Bear visited his room in the Saints’ locker after his victory over Peters. Michael Baer glanced at the photo.
“I can’t say enough good things about Mike Baer,” said Siena graduate guard Andrew Platek, who scored 15 points. “I can’t even imagine the pain he’s going through, but with the smile on his face and the way he cares about us, he’s willing to go out and do it for us.” will do.”
Despite the emotional backdrop, the Saints (13-7 overall, 7-2 in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference) suffered their second loss in three games, following a seven-game winning streak. They held on to lead half her game against an idle Iona who appears in her MVP arena on Friday.
Siena played the second half without starting point guard and top scorer Javian McCallum. Head coach Carmen Macariello said McCallum is having back problems again.
McCollum also sat out late in the St Peters game with a back problem.
“He said he was good. I put him back in the first half and he didn’t look good,” said Macariello. Go from there. ”
Siena took the final lead at 38-37 with 9:09 left on two foul shots by Jackson Stormo. Fairfield’s Supreme his Cook (12 points) responded with a dunk 15 seconds later. His 3-pointer from TJ Long put Fairfield ahead 56–50 with 1:01 remaining.
Fairfield (9-10, 5-4) posted a nine-game losing streak against Siena, beating the Saints for the first time in head coach Jay Young’s four-season tenure.
“Obviously, we were reminded a few times that we didn’t beat them,” Young said. “We need to win to stay where we need to be in this league. That’s the most important thing.”
Young said he tore the box score at halftime as Fairfield tied 20-15. Stags missed 21 of his first 22 shots.
“Everyone got a fresh start,” said Young. “We’re five down. I’m like, oh my god, how come we’re five down on these numbers?”
Macariello felt his side should have a bigger lead at half-time after leading 18–6.
“We talk about being able to put the team away,” Macariello said. “We have to be able to increase those prospects. It should have been a 15 to 18 point game (at the half).
Macariello said Bear learned of his father’s death around 2 a.m. on Sunday and told the team during a pre-game meal. Did.
“At the end of the day, he said it was the only thing he wanted us to do to win,” Macariello said. It’s the way it happened.”
Fairfield coach Young hugged Bear before the game and talked to him after the game.
“His dad told him he would be proud of what he played today and how hard he played,” Young said.
